The evening world., 1887-12-03
p YOUR yiLUB WHEN YOU'RE KILLED.
+vrOII 1sb ODI0- IrhT
Bfi Nye gavors n sliding Scale for Victisns
OF Rsiiroad Accidents.

Nm Nye Bavors n sliding Scale for Victisns
Of Railroad Accidents.
Stdttsttcdn, Long Island, asks what has been
done BY the railroad In the matter Of settlement
with relatives and representatives Of those who
were killed by the C%hatsworih disaster.
The average price paid for those who were killed
was 81, 900, according to q recent statement This
will be used az n basis for future estimates, and It
Is a good thing to know ut Just what price q human
life Ia held. The figures on mich COWS and
domestic animals have been settled for
some time, but 1t has always been O
question more or less open to discussion who
should establish the value OF 4 human being. The
Chatsworth horror seems to have been in this way,
q blessing In disguise for 1t establishes n precedent
by which q wife knows to within q few cents what
sum will be refunded to her In case her
husband should be returned to her in O dead state
by q railroad company, with the terse remark tnat
while he may have been possessed Of some merit
he Is not available for It's columns.
Railroads are also enabled through this ruling to
know, by q careful calculation, about what q
rickety bridge or drunken employee may cost the
company In q year, and the passenger himself Is
Afforded much comfort when he takes a train by
knowing that he can broil himself over q car
stove till life IL extinct, and, In case q jury holds
that the accident was not due to his W negli-
Rence, MS widow Will get ", OWO IN crisp currency,
besides what Ia left OF his own crisp remains.
Still, ! would favor q sliding scale. would hold
that the widow Of o good ~provider ought to get
more by identifying the body Of her husband than
o woman who points out the roast pork which
marks the spot where her husband was trying
to hold four seats and put his feet on two more at
the time Of his death. The man who reluctantly
leaves his home TO take O journey, and who leaves
tears OF regret on the lashes Of his little ones when
he goes, ought to be worth more than the man who
| only goes home to get his clothes laundried.
But In talking about the price paid by q railroad
for the death of O passenger, we forget that the
loss of the money Ii not the only thing that haunts
the railway afterwards. Think Of the sleeplesa
nights that a railroad must pass, tossing
on Ito restless roadbed az 1t were, and thinking OF ita
victimsl There Is where 1t pays the awful pen.
atty Of its rash acts. Who would be q wealthy
railroad with sleek, blooded rolling stock and good
connections and strong social ties, but with the
blood of innocent people on its divi
dendsf Those VINO are prone to envy q prosper
Gus trunk line, with a fringe of telegraph poles on
both sides, should remember that 1t may have q
skeleton In its waiting-room which robs 1t Of al
Joy. / would rather be a poor newspaper
man, riding on q clergyman's half-fart
permit. and knowing that in case Of
accident my widow could present her second nus
band with a dowry of 81, 900, than to be q sin
cursed Air Line ballasted with the busted hopes o.
my shareholders and bones Of my desiccated pa
irons. BILL NYR.